Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated Maharishi Valmiki International Airport in the temple town of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, shortly after launching the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station and flagging off two Amrit Bharat and six Vande Bharat trains, some virtually.
Phase 1 of the state-of-the-art airport has been developed at a cost of more than ₹1450 crore. The airport’s terminal building will have an area of 6,500 sqm, equipped to serve about 10 lakh passengers annually. The facade of the terminal building depicts the temple architecture of the upcoming Ram Mandir of Ayodhya.
The interiors of the terminal building are decorated with local art, paintings and murals depicting the life of Lord Ram. The terminal building of the Ayodhya airport is also equipped with various sustainability features, such as an insulated roofing system, LED lighting, rainwater harvesting, landscaping with fountains, a water treatment plant, a sewage treatment plant, a solar power plant and many other such features have been provided to meet GRIHA – 5-star ratings.
The airport will improve connectivity in the region, leading to a boost in tourism, business activities and employment opportunities.
Modi has outlined his vision to develop modern, world-class infrastructure in Ayodhya, improve connectivity and revamp its civic facilities while also conforming to the rich history and heritage of the city.
The foundation stones for a number of other new projects will be laid, contributing to the beautification and revamp of civic facilities in and around the temple town.
Things to know about Ayodhya’s Maharishi Valmiki International Airport
- Ayodhya’s Maharishi Valmiki International Airport recently got a licence for operation of flights from the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA).
- It has a 2,200-metre-long and 45-metre-wide runway, which can handle landing and take-off of Airbus A320, ATR-72 and Bombardier private jets in the first phase.
- In the second phase, the airport would be opened for international flights with the expansion of the runway to 3,200 metres. It is being developed in three phases on 821 acres of land.
- According to an official of Airports Authority of India (AAI), the runway is equipped with Doppler Very High Frequency Omni Range (DVOR) radio navigation system used to aid aircraft in determining their flight position and direction in relation to their destination using VHF (very high frequency) signals between 108.00 and 117.95 MHz sent from a radio beacon.
- The state-of-the-art airport, built at a cost of ₹1462.97 crore, depicts the journey of Lord Ram’s life and has unique architecture that follows the ‘Nagara Style’, outlined with scriptures, presenting a culturally rich welcome to passengers. Depictions of Lord Ram grace various levels of the airport, stated a government release.
- Outside the airport, a mural featuring a bow and arrow has been installed, serving as a symbolic representation of the enduring efforts of Lord Ram. The landscaping of the airport is inspired by the use of colours representing the five elements (Panch Tatva).
- The main building of the airport features 7 pillars, each intricately representing the significant episodes of the Ramayana.
- The airport also features two distinct types of mural plaques, namely ‘Daivik and Khandika’. In addition to this, a wall mural dedicated to Lord Hanuman has also been installed which depicts his entire journey. The airport also boasts of a striking 3-storey high ‘Ram Darbar’ and a depiction of the Sita-Ram marriage crafted in Madhubani painting, offering a captivating experience for visitors, it stated.
- From January 11, there will be daily operation of three flights between Ahmedabad and Ayodhya. Additionally, on January 6, the first flight between Delhi and Ayodhya will take off. After the commencement of initial operations, the process of operating international flights from this airport will begin, and subsequently, Ayodhya will be directly connected to the global circuit, marking a moment of pride.
